Of Lords and Tacticians
by SolarRuby17
Summary: Various short stories and one-shots detailing the life, times, and tragedies of the Lords and Tacticians of Ylisse.
1. A Different Route

**Of Lords and Tacticians**

_And Tagules, and Troubadours, and Mages, and Manaketes, and everything else in between; A one-shot and a long-shot collection. ;P_

* * *

_Sorry for not getting this out sooner. I've been experiencing computer troubles and all that jazz. Also, Spoilers for the game! Go play it first!_

_(3/1/13) Reworked the chapter._

**_A/N: I am in the very long and excruciating process of reworking from the ground up this rather unpolished first chapter. Please be patient._**

**_Part One: You may call me Marth:_**

* * *

_A/N : So, For this series, which somehow managed to become more popular then I had dreamed, (This may be in part to the fact that Fire Emblem Awakening just recently came out. :P) I'll be alternating between my Avatar (Chris) and Lucina centric one-shots, that will, more often than not, lead into each other to some degree, and one-shots dealing with other members of the Shepherds in between. This particular piece goes off of the little fact Grima brought up at the end of chapter 23. He says that you lost your memory because he came back in time with Lucina and tried to possess you as his vessel. But that would be impossible, because Lucina apparently didn't drop into the future until later, during her rescue of Lissa. 0_o So, I've decided to mix things up a bit as I explain this little discrepancy. _

_Regardless, here we go._

_Thanks for stopping by to read._

* * *

Sweat dripped down his face as he ran as fast as his legs would carry him, praying silently to Naga that she would deliver him from the terror he had just witnessed.

He dared not look back, lest a last glance at the smoking heap that had been his home sap what little strength he had to spare. The dying wails of the townsfolk, who had become his kin, still echoed in his ears. The cold, lifeless gaze of his mother, the only real family he had ever known, refused to leave his mind's eye.

His legs moved of their own volition, even as his aching body protested. His mind was too far in a daze to care anymore. That _thing..._ It's deep, dark chuckle never ceasing as it butchered and razed his home. It's strength so terrible even the best of the warriors or passing mercenaries could do nothing to even stall it. It's face..._ Oh, gods... It's face... It had my face..._

"You cannot escape your destiny, little fool." The foreboding voice of darkness echoed around him. He only ran all the harder. Until a rock, a simple innocent stone, simply nothing save in an ill place at the most ill of times, caught his foot, sending him plummeting to the ground.

"Why do you run?" The voice said, a grim humor in it's otherworldly voice. "You are destined to a higher purpose."

A chill went down his spine as a dark presence loomed over him. _Gods, he caught me..._ He whimpered with the thought.

"Your are to be a god. Accept your fate. Become me!"

And then, darkness.

Total, all-consuming darkness...

...

...

...

A pulsing blue portal tore itself open out of this air, opening like a single, unblinking eye. A single figure, clad in blue and with hair to match, walked through the portal, its 'lid' waving like water as the figure broke through. A traveler from a distant time and place, clad as the Hero-King of yore, Marth. Flachion was borne on her side.

The figure immediately noticed someone laying face down on the ground, the smoke rising from the distance telling that something was terribly amiss. Despite her own internal protest for meddling in this timeline, she knelt down next to the unconscious young man. His silvery gray hair briefly caught her attention, though she paid it no mind for the moment.

After a quick look over, making sure that there were no major injuries, the figure flipped over her disabled companion.

And immediately recoiled as she saw his face. Nearly tripping over in surprise, the figure's hand went quickly to the blade at her side, drawing it and holding it shakily at the man's downed form.

_No... There is no way... It's impossible. The Avatar of Destruction? Why is he here? How?_

The figure prepared to thrust the blade through her target, but was caught off guard, simply by the serene look adorning his face. Wincing at her own indecision, she re-sheathed the Falchion, marching resolutely away from the man.

She didn't get far, before her resolution faded. Letting out a strained groan, before turning around back to the Avatar.

* * *

His head hurt, a whole immense ton. He tried to sit up, but the pain that shot through his whole body sent him back down. Upon some kind of bedding? With an intense level of concentration, he managed to pull his eyes open. On one side, the sun hadn't risen yet, but the very edges of the sky were already lighting up a faint pink. On his other, the edge of a forest. A non-descript figure sat warily on a log, switching between watching the fire and scanning her surroundings every few moments.

They must have been the one who had given him the bed, but why he was out in the middle of no-where in the first place, he couldn't seem to recall.

The figure noticed that he had awoken, and immediately made a quick movement for something behind them, holding it up to their face and tucking their long azure hair beneath the collar of their outfit. They made a slow, almost cautious approach, hand resting at the ready on the hilt of their sword.

She stopped a few feet from him, the object she had held to her face now clearly an intricate mask, and stared him down apprehensively.

"Do... You know how I got here?" He said after a moment of silence, looking over the person in front of him. She was clearly female, if one looked hard enough, though she was clearly trying to hide that fact, for whatever reason.

The figure was silent, instead, simply pointing to the smoke still rising off the horizon. The man couldn't help but feel a clench around his heart, even if he could not understand why. "What happened?"

"Who are you?" The person snapped back, ignoring his question. He recoiled a bit at the fierceness of the question, but quickly went still as he realized,

He had no idea who he was.

"I... I don't know." Was his simple reply.

The figure gave a dissatisfied grunt, before turning and walking away.

"Wait... Who are you? Why did you help me?"

She figure stopped for a moment, turning her head around only enough for her to see him. "You may call me Marth..." She said, going back to walking. He gait was forced, and the way she carried herself almost looked like she was trying too hard not to look feminine, right up to the obvious inflection she added to her voice.

It was a curious matter. Almost curious as how he was able to put together all these little pieces about this 'Marth'. Or why he couldn't remember anything. Yeah, he would have to figure that one out later.

Scrambling to get out of the cloths that he had been given as a makeshift bed, he quickly made chase after Marth into the woods. He couldn't figure out why, but something about her seemed annoyingly familiar. Like he had know her before, almost like in a distant dream or something...

He nearly tripped over a jutting root as he lost himself in his thoughts. He managed to catch himself and right his stance back up, only to come a few inches away from Marth's snarling, masked face.

It was slightly unnerving to see.

"Stop following me." She hissed, before turning and walking away again, leaving the amnesiac young man standing confused, alone in the forest. He watched her fade away into the distance, unable to follow any longer. For but another unexplained reason, he couldn't help but respect her wishes. There was some bizarre, unexplainable attraction here. Some kind of otherworldly connection. He knew her, but from where, he could not remember. A dark buzz in the back of his mind told him he didn't actually want to remember.

Letting out a sigh, and running a hand through his silver-grey hair (something his subconscious told him was a nervous habit he had been doing for a long time), he turned and walked back to the clearing bordering the woods.

Taking a last glance at the smoke still rising from the distance, he turned and headed off in the opposite direction, towards the sunrise. He took a deep breath. He didn't remember anything from before now, so this marked the first step on the journey of a new life.

He had a feeling that it was going to be a long trip.

* * *

"Chrom, we have to do something..."

_Huh? _

"Well, what do you propose we do?"

_Whattists?_

"I-I don't know!"

His relentless march into the distance the previous day had been admittedly foolish in hindsight. And the fact that it had ended with him passing out off the trail of some road to nowhere as far as he knew was one of the stupidest things he could remember.

Not that he could remember anything...

He forced his eyes open, only to find a pair of people standing over him. One, a rather oddly dressed blonde female, and the other a blue-haired knight of some kind, who looked oddly like Marth. He had a familiar feeling about him as well, but it was significantly less profound.

He was snapped out of his thoughts as he realized he was being talked to, and apparently offered help, as the man was offering his hand.

"There are better places to take a nap then on the ground you know." The man said with a smirk.

Shaking off any nagging thoughts he may have had, he took the man's hand, using his weight to pull himself to his feet.

"You all right?" He said, sounding a bit concerned, but still cheerful.

"Y-yes... Thank you, Chrom." He answered, surprising even himself as the name slipped off his tongue.

The one who was apparently Chrom raised an eyebrow at the rather odd person in front of him. "Ah, so you know who I am?"

The silver-haired man shook his head, rubbing his temples. "N-no, actually, I... It's strange. Your name just came to me..."

Chrom looked just as puzzled as he was, nocking his head to the side in confusion. "...Hmm, how curious. Tell me, what's your name? What brings you out to these fields?"

"My name is... It's... I... Don't remember." He answered, slightly flustered.

"Wait, you don't know you're own name?" The blonde girl behind him said, sounding astonished. "I've heard of this! It's called amnesia!"

A third, taller man walked up beside them, looking down on the amnesiac man with suspicion. "What it's called is a load of pegasus dung. You expect us to believe you know milord's name, and not your own?"

"B-but it's the honest truth! I don't even know where on earth I am!" He answered, holding up his hands defensively.

Chrom put his hand on Frederick's shoulder, urging him back. "What if it IS true, Frederick? We can't just leave him hear, alone and confused. What sort of Shepherds would we be then?"

Frederick took a step back, but his wary expression didn't change. "Just the same, milord, I must emphasize caution. 'Twould not do to let a wolf into our flock."

_Oh, real kind of you Frederick._

Chrom nodded. "Very well. We'll take him back to town and sort this out there."

"Wait, don't I get a say in this?" He said, giving Frederick a sour look.

"Peace, friend. We'll hear what you have to say in the town. Now come."

_Well, that doesn't sound like a bad idea. Who knows when the last time I slept in a real bed was..._

"What will you do with me? Am I to be your prisoner?" He questioned, not helping the lingering feeling of unease around these people.

Chrom just laughed. "Hah! No, you'll be free to go as soon as we establish you are no enemy of Ylisse?"

"Is that where we are? Ylisse?" He asked, furrowing his brow in confusion.

Frederick answered with a sarcastic laugh. "You have never heard of the Halidom? Ha! Someone pay this actor. He play quite the fool! The furrowed brow is especially convincing..."

Chrom put a hand on Frederick's shoulder again, putting him back in place yet again. "Frederick, please. This land is known as the Halidom of Ylisse. Our ruler, Emmeryn, is called the Exalt. And I suppose proper introductions are in order..."

_Ylisse? Sounds... Familiar_... A dream... A memory maybe? A city burning, underneath a huge shadow. Many sorrowful cries as life upon life is snuffed out. As well as a name...

"My name is Chrom- but then, you already knew that." Chrom continued uninterrupted. "The delicate one here is my little sister, Lissa."

"I am NOT delicate! ...Hmph!" Lissa pouted behind them, crossing her arms a spitting her tongue out at Chrom. Not that he noticed. "Ignore my brother, please. He can be a bit thick sometimes."

Chrom rolled his eyes at his sister's behavior. "And the one behind me is Frederick the Wary."

Frederick nodded, standing tall and proud. "A title I shall wear with pride, Milord. Gods forbid one of us keep an appropriate level of caution. I have every wish to trust you, stranger, but my station demands otherwise."

_Well, your nickname definitely fits you..._ "I understand, sir. I would do no less myself, I suppose."

Another flash of memory. Several faces flying by, some so fast he couldn't make out most of them. And a name again... His name...

"My name is Chris..." He muttered. Everyone looked at him with raised eyebrows. "...I just remembered that. How odd. I suppose that is one mystery solved."

A memory of a burning town. The name.. It seems to drag with it such weight... The town... His town? The smoldering remains of the town, smoke rising from the distance. The same town he had looked at with Marth... Marth?

"Chris? Is that foreign?" Chrom asked, again shaking Chris from his thoughts. Chrom gave a dismissive wave of his hand, picking up his pace slightly on the trail. "...Ah well. We can discuss this later. We are almost to the town. Once we... Oh, gods..."

The town was on fire. _Fire... Not more fire..._ Chris winced. These dreamlike memories would be the death of him yet.

By the time Chris shook himself out of his stupor, the people he had been traveling with had disappeared. Scolding himself for losing himself like that, he quickly hurried off after them.

By the time he had made it to the town, most of the attacking brigands had already been slain. Aside from a few gurgling stragglers, the only real noise in the town was coming in the direction of a nearby courtyard. He rounded a corner, just to see a rough looking brigand holding a young girl in a choke-hold, shouting threats at Chrom and Frederick, who stood not far from him, weapons drawn.

"Don't take another step, ye blasted Ylissean dogs, or this maiden gets it!" The brigand yelled, holding his axe up to the squirming girl's neck. Chrom and Frederick stopped in their tracks, glairing furiously at the brute. "Now, put down yer weapons." He said with a smirk.

The sound of clicking metal rung out as Chrom's weapon hit the floor.

Chris growled furiously, running at the bandit.

"Now..." The ruffian continued. "I want you to turn around and- Hurk!" With a dull thunk, the charred husk of what had been the ruffian leader Garrick, hit the ground. Chrom looked around, surprised, only to see and equally surprised Chris, small jolt of electricity still jumping from his fingertips.

"Did... I just do that?"

Chrom sighed. "Looks like we are have a lot of talking to do..."

* * *

They spent the rest of their day on the long walk to Yilsstol, all while explaining the world that Chris apparently knew nothing about. And while his constant headaches and mutterings about 'fire and darkness' struck them as odd, they just attributed it to his amnesia.

Either way, Chris caught on fast. He was a surprisingly quick learner, and his mind was quite keen, as everyone, Chris included, were figuring out. Even Frederick's best riddles couldn't stump the young man, whom Chrom had made the Shepherd's tactician on a whim, much to the lieutenant's dismay, on both counts.

"We'll camp here for the night." Chrom said, having grown tired of his sister's annoying, if slightly amusing, complaints. "Why don't you and Frederick gather firewood, Lissa?"

The blonde healer vigorously shook her head. "No way, nuh uh! I've had enough of this walking around for the day!" She squeeled, plopping herself down on the ground.

"Say again, who isn't delicate?" Chris chuckled under his breath. Lissa heard him anyways, gave him a death glare, sat up, and started setting up camp.

"I'll get the firewood myself, then." Frederick sighed, before walking off.

* * *

Before long, Lissa and Chrom had set up camp, Chris and Frederick bringing firewood, with the lattermost person dragging a slain bear with him as well, much to everyone's astonishment.

Needless to say, they ate the bear that night.

"Mmm... It's been too long since I last had bear meat. Delicious!' Chrom murmured, smacking his lips, satisfied at his meal. He, however, noticed that Lissa hadn't touched hers. "What's wrong Lissa? Dig in. If you don't, I'll eat it."

His answer was a slab of well cooked meat in the face. "Gods, couldn't you spear us am animal normal people eat for once!?" Lissa complained. Again. "I mean, Come on! Who eats bear!?"

To this, Chris began eating his chunk all the faster, making a show out of clearly enjoying his meal.

"Goodness, Chris, slow down! You'll give yourself a heart attack if you eat like that." Frederick said.

"Hey, Frederick..." Lissa muttered, leaning closer to the knight. "Why haven't you eaten any? Bear meat too much for out staunch lieutenant?"

Frederick immediately tensed up. "Me? Ah, oh, well... I'm not hungry. I... I had quite a large lunch! Yes, quite..." Came his slightly too hasty answer.

"Yeah, right!" Lissa laughed, and was joined in by the other two. Frederick just tried his best to ignore them.

* * *

Chris couldn't sleep. He didn't even feel tired. Which was saying something, seeing as to how they just spent almost the whole day walking.

He had entertained himself with the stars decorating the night sky, and trying to sort out who exactly he was. And the memories that kept plaguing him. It would take awhile, but if he was ever to move on, he would have to forget about who he was before. Hopefully, nothing really important happened in his past.

There was a cold breeze, and a chill ran down his spine. A very familiar chill...

Grabbing the sword Frederick had been kind enough to provide him with, Chris set off into the woods to see just what was going on.

He didn't know that Lissa had seen him sneak off, and had given chase herself.

Chris didn't get very far, before he noticed that the woods had grown eerily quiet, eerily fast. "Something is wrong here..." He muttered.

Not but a moment after the words left his mouth, did the ground start to shake beneath him. "Damn!"

Quickly turning around, Chris started running back to the camp, nearly tripping several times as the earth beneath him stared to splinter and crack. And rise, spitting forth thick balls of fire as they did so.

He nearly tripped again, but this time, over Lissa. "Damnit, Lissa! Come on!" Chris shouted, grabbing the girls arm and having her run with him.

They were nearly taken down several times, between falling fire, and falling trees. By the time they made it back to the camp, it had already been abandoned. "Damn it!" Chris ground out through clenched teeth as Lissa gasped for breath behind him.

"C-Chirs! Look!" Lissa shouted between raspy breaths, pointing to the sky.

First one, then many glowing, eye-like disks appeared in the sky over them. Everything around them seemed to go still.

Until, like worms sliding out of a clump of dirt, several limp humanoids came sliding out, hitting the ground with a hard thud. A moment later, with stiff and jerky movements, the figures stood up, glowing eyes bleeding ill intent.

"Lissa... Get behind me..." Chris said, pushing the small cleric to his rear. She squeaked meekly in response.

One of the creatures charged at him, unbelievably fast for how... Decayed it looked. Chris brought up his sword, and managed to parry the creature's axe.

_Where did it get that thing anyways_?

The creature's reaction speed was slow, and Chris was able to land a clean slash across its chest before it could bring its axe back down. Chris flinched for a moment as the creature simply looked down at him., before he ended up going flying as the creature backhanded him. The creature lunged at him again, and Chris sidestepped, holding out his sword arm as to impale the creature as it shot past him.

That's exactly what happened, the creature taking his sword with it as it was skewered. It disappeared in a puff of foul smoke, causing the sword to fall to the ground.

Chris picked up his weapon, nodding to himself in satisfaction. A shrill cry interrupted his self-congratulations.

Lissa was meekly holding up her staff in defense, as one of the creatures approached her, oddly slower than the one that had attacked him. The creature raised it's axe...

_Damn... No! She's too far away! I'll never make it in time!_

Chris tore off, full tilt, at the monster, yelling in desperation, sword raised.

The creature dropped it's axe, Lissa and Chris both freezing in the moment. The loud clash of steel on steel rang out, catching both Shepherds by surprise.

Marth had blocked to blow, though just barely, as she stood with her weapon locked against the monsters.

"Help!" She managed to yell under the strain. Chris realized he had been standing still, and went back to rushing the creature. The monster loosened the grip on its weapon, distracted by the approach of a new target, just enough for Marth to push the axe away.

The creature recoiled back, and was hewn in three as the two blades met it simultaneously. Its pieces turned to smoke before they even hit the ground.

Frederick rode by, already mounted on his horse and armed to the teeth, followed closely by Chrom. "Milady! Hurry, let's get you to safety!" He said, grabbing Lissa and pulling her up onto his horse. "You two! There are more of those creatures to the west and south! Hurry!"

Chris and Marth nodded between each other, running off.

* * *

Before long, all the monsters in the immediate area had been disposed off.

Marth gave a satisfied grunt, re-sheathing Falchion. "Thank you..." She said over her shoulder, turning to walking away, just like last time. She was stopped as Chris grabbed her arm. She simply froze in his grasp, her whole body tensing up.

"Marth... I have to ask you something..." Chris muttered quietly. She turned around to face him, a sneer on her face. Said sneer disappeared though, when she saw how troubled the future vessel of Destruction was.

"I... I have memories of you. At least... I think they're memories. Have we met before?" He asked simply, though the undertones of his voice almost made it sound like he was begging for an answer.

"We have not met before." She said simply. Chris looked somewhat downcast at the answer. "And yet... We have met before..."

Chris looked at her, confused. "What do you mean?"

"I have said to much already." She said, shaking her arm free of his grasp, and running into the woods.

Chris wouldn't be deterred this time, though, and gave chase. But despite his best efforts, he couldn't match her speed, and she faded from sight.

Though even that wouldn't stop him. He kept up his chase, regardless.

* * *

He didn't know how long he had been running for, but he was finally starting to feel slightly winded. Chris had sense slowed himself down, unable to keep his pace, but still moved quickly.

A clumsy sound rung out to his left, followed by some muttered curses.

Poking his head through a bush, Chris saw Marth sitting on a log, breathing heavily. Her mask was off and her hair was down, and the moonlight that funneled down through the trees cast her in an ethereal light.

He heard her take a nasally breath, followed by some more quavering breaths and maybe a hiccup or two.

_Wait... She's... Crying?_

Chris was tempted to come out of hiding, but fell silent again when she started muttering something.

"Father... Your alive... And Chris..."

At that, he couldn't remain hidden any longer. Chris pulled himself out of the bushes and walked up to the crying woman. She didn't even notice him as he sat down on the right next to her.

"Please... Tell me what you know..."

Marth let out a shrill cry, totally not fitting what he had seen of her so far. Or what he... Remembered of her. But still she didn't try to run away, instead, simply slumping her shoulders in resignation. "You... You really want me to tell you what I know..." She said between sniffs.

Chris nodded. "Please. I have to know..."

Marth nodded slowly. "You... In the future... Become the Fell Dragon Grima..."

The name alone brought a slew of nightmarish 'memories' to the surface, most of them filled with death and despair. But that made no sense... How could he have memories of the future?

"How... How can you know this!?" Chris shouted, standing up in a mix of excitement and fear.

"Mayhaps you should sit back down..."

* * *

Chris must have lost all track of time, as the sun was already starting to rise again.

Lucina, as she had revealed herself to be, had spent the whole night explaining exactly what she knew, to painstaking details. And through many stunned silences, and tears shed over painful memories, Chris had finally come to understand.

Understand, yes. Believe, now that was a different story.

"So... just as recap... I kill Chrom, become the Fell Dragon due to my dark bloodline, and lay waste to the world?"

Lucina nodded.

"And you're Chrom''s daughter from the future, who has come back in time to prevent all this from happening..."

Lucina nodded again.

"And you think I lost my memories because Grima tried to take over my body in this time line?"

"Or something similar. You wouldn't have had so many of his own memories otherwise." She murmured.

Chris sighed, running a hand through his hair. That was alot to take in...

But that still left one unanswered question... This lingering attraction to the masquerading lordess...

"I promise you, Lucina, I will not let this future of yours come to pass." Chris said solemnly.

"I want to believe you... I do. But I'm not sure if it can be done. Can one truly challenge their fate and win?" Lucina said, sounding physically and emotionally drained.

Chris nodded. "I don't believe in fate. We make our own destinies. And I'll prove it to you."

"How... How do you plan on tha-" She was cut off as Chris placed a gentle kiss on her cheek.

Lucina's face immediately went red.

"Trust me."

"W-Why did you do that..." Lucina sputtered.

"I'm not sure myself... Blame it on my Grima-borne memories..." Chris answered quietly

Lucina looked away, face flushing deeper. "In the future... As Grima, you said after you killed my friends, you would have captured me and made me your slave..."

All the color drained from Chris' face at that.

"All I can figure is that was a more benign version of that attraction you had for my body..." She said blankly with a sigh. All the emotion had sense been drained from her over the course of the night. "Still... Maybe there is still hope. You never kno-mmpf!?"

Chris placed another, equally soft kiss on her lips, making them both go red in the face.

"Lucina... I'm sorry... I'm going to stop this future, one way or another."

"How... How can you be certain..."

"Like I said... Trust me..."

* * *

_Well, first off, thanks a ton for reading. Thanks go to my reviewers, who made my day several times in one day; Mzr90, Mark of the Asphodel, KingAwesome, Gone2GroundEX, FallenBey, Tyrant Ratatosk, Gunlord500, Missletain, BrightCrest, That's my Pi, and GreyJack 72._

_Special thanks to Missletain, BrightCrest__, Fallenbey, Mzr90, Gone2GroundEX, Metalpenguin, and kingawesome for being cool, and __Mr0Cheese for being a fellow writer on the field on Avatar x Lucina. I'm rooting for you, man._

_And, that's the game. This has been quite the start, hasn't it? Also, for those curious, I was working in alot of the "Grima memories" Thing as mentioned several times in-game. I also felt the story was a bit rushed, especially closer to the end, but I still enjoyed writing this. I plan to continue through the majority of the main story, all with Avatar x Lucina going the whole time. I feel it's a bit of a long shot, so let's see how it goes._

_Questions, comments, criticisms? Let me have em'!_

_Next up, is the first of the divergent one-shots, an Avatar x Cordelia story, with credits to Mzr90._

_Cheers!~_


	2. Under Moonlight

Of Lords and Tacticians

* * *

_**A/N: I'm such an undisciplined writer...**_

_**A/N-2(7/31/13): I am still such an undisciplined writer. Anyways, I've extended/edited/revamped this chapter a bit, as I felt the ending was a bit forced and the pacing was a bit off.**_

* * *

Joyous and lively music filled the air, as the sunset lit the courtyard of the Ylissen Capital in a deep orange. Many people from all across the continent, as well as a substantial number from Valm, had gathered for the festivities.

Chrom stood at the edge of his usual balcony, watching the as the last of the sun faded from the horizon. He smiled down at the gathering people beneath him, as they continued setting up the last of the decorations for the night's events.

Today was The Day of Light, arguably Ylisse's biggest celebration. It marked the final end of the Dark Dragon, Grima, and the day peace was won for the whole world. Even though this was only it's fifth happening, the inhabitants had adjusted well to the new holiday.

Despite the levity of the setting, the lives lost during the war still weighed heavily on the Exalt. Even if the Shepherds had managed no casualties, he shuddered to think how many Pelgian, Ylissen, or Valmese died at their hands for no other reason then for having a different belief of what was right. And how many had they killed who had been lied to, or pressured into it? People like Hoffman, who were only trying to protect what they held dear, only to fall to the Falchion?

"Chrom, sweetie? Are you ok?" Olivia said, wrapping her arms around her husband's waist and resting her head in the crook of his neck. "You've got that face on again... The one when you're thinking about the war."

"Am I that easy to read?" The Exalt muttered, letting out a deep sigh.

"Not really. Chris helped me a bit." Olivia answered sweetly. Chrom gave a sigh in response, causing his wife to mentally kick herself. "Sorry. We all miss him too, you know."

"I know..." Chrom grumbled, half to himself. "It's just that this festival serves only to remind me of the day the world was robbed of one of it's greatest inhabitants."

Olivia hung her head a bit, locks of pink hair falling over her face. "I know... We all know. I doubt to anyone that the pain has gone away." She said, her voice trailing off.

"Daddy, Brother won't leave me lone!" A voice called out, drawing the couple out of their reminiscing state of depression. A moment later, a pair of blue-haired children came running through the door.

Chrom sighed. He loved Lucina and Inigo dearly, but he had no idea there younger incarnations would have been such handfuls. "Yes, Lucy? What is it?" The Exalt asked his daughter, propping her up on his shoulder.

"Azure keeps bothering me!" Lucy cried, rubbing her tear-filled eyes. Chrom sighed again at the vague answer.

"I am not! You're just being a baby!" Azure said, popping his head out from around the corner only to spit his tongue out defiantly.

Chrom repressed sighing again, for the sake of redundancy. Olivia laughed a bit, picking Lucy off her husband's shoulder. "Here, sweetie. Why don't you run anong to your room and we'll get you dressed up for the party?"

The young girl's face immediately brightened, whatever her and Azure had been fighting about immediately forgotten. Giving a quick squeal of delight, Lucy tore back through the balcony door. Olivia gave a smile, before slowly following with Azure at her side. "Well, they are definitely your kids." She said playfully over her shoulder. Chrom laughed a bit, before turning back to lean against the balcony rails.

The blue-haired exalt shook his head, chuckling slightly. Lucy, like Lucina, loved her clothes. Despite how much he had told himself he wouldn't do it, he constantly found himself comparing his two daughters to each other. He couldn't stop but think if Lucina future had been different, how her personality would have changed.

He shook off the thought. He should just be content with his whole family, be they from the past, present, or future.

And speaking of Lucina, he should probably go and find her. She will be expected to make an appearance with the rest of the royal family at the party's finale.

Pushing himself off the rail, Chrom turned and walked through the castle halls in a meaningful stride. After running a full lap through her usual spots, he found his eldest child nowhere to be found.

"Hey, Stahl? Have you seen Lucina anywhere?" He asked the viridian knight as he passed him by at the guardpost of the castle doors.

Stahl's head immediately shot up, looking around for the source of the voice. "Ah! Your Majesty!" He practically yelled as his eyes locked on Chrom. He quickly gave a deep bow, and nearly feel down on his face with the force he dropped with. "Ah, what was it you wanted?" He asked bashfully, righting himself back up.

"I was wondering if you had seen Lucina." Chrom answered, having a quick laugh at the knight's expense.

Stahl simply shook his head. "No, your Majesty. I haven't the foggiest idea where Lucina is. Though... I did see her, Azure, Gerome and... Brady I think, leave the castle grounds some time ago."

"Did you catch which direction they went?"

"I think... they went in that general direction." The green-haired knight said, pointing almost directly in the direction of the full moon over-head. "I don't know why..."

"Thanks Stahl. You're a big help." Chrom said, cutting him off.

"Yes sir, your Majesty." Stahl quickly responded, giving another deep bow. By the time he stood back up, Chrom had already left. "Ok... I guess."

* * *

The blue-haired Exalt groaned to himself for the umpteenth time, crawling through another scraggly bush. It was no real secret to him where Lucina had disappeared to, as she had been frequenting the same spot for some time. What puzzled him was why she had chosen now to run off now of all times, and why did she drag others with her? Especially given the fact that she had know that her presence would be required at the festival.

Finally, with a last grunt, Chrom pushed himself through the overgrowth surrounding Ylisstol. He subsequently found himself in a small clearing, with only a small, rarely trodden path leading down to a equally small pond of sorts. Dusting himself off, Chrom made his way down the path.

Running up to the solitary tree that rested next to the lake, he found exactly what he was looking for. Lucina stood on the edge of the lake, with Inigo right behind her. Gerome and Brady sat back to back on a nearby rock, each with a violin in hand.

Before he could step any further, the two other men started playing their instruments. Figuring he had some time, the Exalt just stood in the shadow of the tree and watched.

Their notes were soft and light, almost unperceivably so. Slowly, in tune with the whispy melody, Lucina began a simple dance, her movements as slight and smooth as the music to her back.

The light reflecting off the pool from the full moon overhead cast the lithe lord in an ethereal glow. Chrom couldn't repress a small smile as he saw the beautiful young woman that his daughter had become.

Before long, Inigo joined in the dance, shadowing his sister's movements.

_Mirror...__ Tell me something..._

The sudden voice caught Chrom by surprise. It was melodious and sweet, yet terribly sad. He mentally hit himself as he realized it had been Lucina who had begun singing.

_Tell me who's the loneliest... Of all._

Gerome and Brady's music immediately picked up a pace, as Lucina continued to her dance with renewed furor.

_Mirror, tell me something. Tell me who's the loneliest off all._

Chrom cocked his head slightly. He had never heard this song before, which struck him as a bit odd. Had these four been practicing it without anyone knowing?

Meanwhile, Inigo had stepped back on the scene himself, yet remained silent as he copied Lucina's moves.

_Mirror, what's inside me? Tell me can a heart be turned to stone?_

Lucina continued to sway in the moonlight, looking more like a fairy dancing on water, as the violins picked up again in the back. Both the music and dancing seemed to be picking up in pace.

Until in suddenly died out. Just as Chrom was about to come out from his creepy-stalker hiding place, Inigo started singing himself. Or rather, humming a vocal high note. This was again joined by Brady and Gerome, each of their instruments playing faster and louder then before.

_Mirror, Mirror, what's behind you? Save me from the things I see. I can keep it from the world, why won't you let me hide from me?_

_Mirror. Mirror. Tell me something. Who's the loneliest off all?!_

Chrom couldn't help but wince a bit. The was an incredible amount of emotion behind each word his daughter sang. Each word holding the crushing weight of loss...

The whole of the song was repeated once, before slowly, the music petered out. Lucina was left standing silent and still just at the edge of the pool.

_I'm the loneliest of... all..._

The Exalt hung his head silently. He knew exactly what this lament was about. Soundlessly, the Exalt turned to leave.

"You can come out now, father."

Chrom cringed at the voice of his son, before slowly turning around and walking down to the lakeside with the others.

Gerome stood as soon as Chrom came down, donning his mask as usual and walking off, motioning for Brady to follow. The two wordlessly walked past, leaving the Exalt alone with his children. Lucina still hadn't moved, save for her head, which shifted from the pool to the full moon overhead.

Inigo simply nodded in his sister's direction, motioning for Chrom to interact with her, before leaving himself.

"Lucina..." He began, placing his hand on his daughter's shoulder. She tensed a little at his touch.

No words were truly required between the two.

The wars that had preceded these years brought terrible loss to not one, but two whole continents. Even the best of them were not spared the sorrow that ensued in it's wake.

"I miss him too..." Chrom said, half-whispering.

Chris may have been his best friend, and him sacrificing himself so selflessly to destroy Grima had hit him hard...

But not even close to as hard as it had his daughter.

So sweet and innocent their love had been. And just as fleeting. Lucina, still, had refused to part with his ring, even after the brilliant tactician had all but faded from the minds of others, save those that had fought and bled by his side.

"But... It's time to move on." He could feel her tense again under his hand. "Mourning forever... It isn't what he would have wanted."

Wrong thing to say. Lucina quickly spun around, her tear-filled eyes shooting daggers at her father. "How would you know? How would you have know what he wanted?" She spat, her voice coming off in a low hiss.

Chrom hung his head. Truth was, he didn't really. No one did.

"I lost everything I ever loved once. Is that not enough?" She continued, tears welling up again in her eyes. "Is Naga so cruel as to rob me of love twice? Is it not enough to see my world crumble around me a second time?"

Chrom tried to speak up, but was interrupted. "Don't even start. Your historians have omitted Chris almost everywhere possible. Was it his dark lineage? The things he did under Validar's influence?"

The Exalt had no answers. Lucina was right.

"All we wanted was to be together. Was that too much to ask? Did fate have a different idea?"

Chrom cut her off, pushing a finger forcefully to her face. "There is no fate, remember? Just the invisible ties that bind us all together. Friends, allies, lovers. Or... Do you not remember that part?"

That came off a lot harsher then Chrom had intended, but it had the correct effect. Lucina's eyes lost their defiant lock with her father's, dropping to stare mournfully at the ground. The tears continued to roll off her face, making small splashes on the moonlit grass.

"Why?" Was all she had to answer with.

And he had no answer. Pulling his daughter into a close embrace, they stood in silence under the stars.

"I don't know. But I believe we will see him again. Eventually."

Lucina looked over he father's shoulder to the moon.

"Yes... Eventually."

* * *

Chrom and Lucina ended up missing the festival in it's entirety, as father and daughter sat alone in the fields remembering the fallen.

* * *

**End - Second Tale**

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**A/N: Yeah, that flowed horribly... As usual, question and comments are appreciated. Thanks for reading.**

**Cheers!~**


	3. I Challenge My Fate

**I Challenge My Fate**

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**A/N: Yeah, I'm just re-uploading this one to give Of Lords and Tacticians some extra length. And to treat those who missed the first time around... Or whatever.**

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Lucina sat quietly in her tent, staring distantly at the blank blue canvas of its wall.

The Shepherds had just managed a narrow escape from the Plegian castle, following Validar's deception and the theft of the Fire Emblem.

Lucina let out a heavy sigh. Even with the Emblem in their enemies' possession, she knew there was still a way to tip the future to her favor. She knew what had to be done. With a steely glimmer of morbid determination in her eyes, she strapped Falchion to her side and walked out of her tent.

The sun was already hanging low in the sky, lighting up the horizon in a brilliant orange hue. Most of the other Shepherds had already retired to their tents for the night to either plan, or just sort out their thoughts in wake of their last mission.

That was, save one person. Morgan, the ever blithely oblivious young woman sat near the edge of the camp, twirling a small daisy in her hands as she watched the sunset. He azure hair was waving lightly in the breeze.

The very sight of her twisted a proverbial knife in Lucina's stomach. It hurt her even more to think that what she was about to do could very well cause the sweet little tactician-to-be to cease to exist.

But she couldn't let her thoughts dwell on that. She couldn't waver now. What she was setting out to do was for the good of the millions of lives in the future. Steeling herself again, Lucina matched off to find their tactician, hand gripping Falchion tighter. A small pressure on her finger on made her grip tighten more.

A simple silver ring sat calmly on her finger, it's blue engravings glimmering slightly. A gift. One of the greatest she had ever received...

She shook her head vigorously, trying to rid herself of the thought.

Given the daisy that Morgan had been holding, it wasn't hard to locate the person she was seeking.

Chris, their tactician, their good friend, the son of Validar and the blood-kin of the Fell Dragon, stood calmly on the far side of the hill their camp was resting on. His silver hair shone brightly in the waning sunlight, giving him a slightly otherworldly appearance. Beneath him was a small patch of daisies, and he was doing nothing but simply admiring them in the brilliant sunset.

Lucina approached, stopping not far behind him. He must have noticed her presence, as he gave a slight wave of his hand to motion her closer.

She didn't move, instead clearing her throat roughly. "Beg pardon, Chris. Might I have a word with you?" She said after a moment.

Chris turned around, smiling at the indigo-haired princess. His smile quickly fell as he read the concern on her face. "Lucina? What is it?"

The lithe lord looked to the ground, unable to keep eye contact with her companion. "It's about my father." She began, sounding slightly distant. "I have memories of him you know... From when I was little. Before he... Died."

Chris' expression quickly fell. He had never dealt well with the stories of the children's apocalyptic future. "I see..."

"He was courageous, and kind, and everyone spoke fondly of him." Lucina continued, managing to pull her gave up. Chris noted that the usually strong woman before him was acting uncharacteristically distant. "People say he was brave right up to the very end. I always yearned to know him better. And now that I do... I can see that the world will be robbed of a very great man." Her hand tightened around Falchion again. "...And I won't let that happen."

Chris nodded, giving a solemn smile. "I understand. You love him... We all do, and-"

The silver-haired tactician stopped mid-sentence as he noticed the wet glimmer in Lucina's eyes.

"Chris, I... Please forgive me."

Chris took a step towards Lucina, only to be met with the sharp sound of an sword being unsheathed as Falchion was angled for his chest. "Lucina? What!?" He managed to get out, taking a step back in shock.

"Stay where you are, Chris!" Lucina shouted back, her voice cracking slightly. "I have no choice. I have to kill you..."

Even for his acute mind, Chris had a hard time processing exactly what was happening to him. "What!? What madness is this?!"

Lucina shook her head slowly, dropping her voice to nary a whisper. "In my future... You are my father's murderer."

"No! That's insane! Why would I kill Chrom!" Chris shouted back, still trying to make sense of things.

"I was not certain myself, until now... I knew he had been killed by his closest friend. Having witnessed your bond with him, I doubted it could be so... But today's events make it clear." Lucina shoved the blade closer to him, coming mere inches away from his chest. "You are at Validar's mercy. And I suspect it is he who forces you to take my father's life, and very soon..."

Then it all clicked in his head. She was really willing to make an incredible sacrifice just to save her father. To save her future... "Lucina... Wait."

"If my father is right, then we can change our fates." She continued, holding her blade ever close to him to ensure he didn't attempt to escape, even as Falchion wavered in her grasp. "If this dark future is to be averted, sacrifices must be made."

Chris' eyes grew distant, realizing only now the full weight that had been placed on their shoulders.

"I'm sorry, Chris!" Lucina yelled, her voice growing more hysterical with each word. "I know this is murder, I... I know that..."

The tactician slowly raised his hands, attempting to ease Falchion back down. "Lucina, you don't have to-"

Shaking the blade away from his grasp, Lucina quickly returned it to its shaky position above his heart. "Don't make it harder! Don't resist, and your death will be swift and painless!" She yelled, her grasp on Falchion growing shakier as her eyes welled up further with unshed tears. "If you have any love for Chrom, then let this be done..."

Chris nodded, letting himself fall to his knees. "...Very well. My life is yours... It always has been." He said, looking up and staring down the cold steel of the blade that would take his life, sympathy clear in his eyes.

"D-don't look at me like that!" Lucina shouted, thrusting the point of Falchion accusingly at the submitting tactician, leaving the blade a hairsbreadth away from his face. Again, her ring caught her eye. "I love you! ...Do you have any idea how hard this is for me!"

Chris gave a stiff laugh. "I would give my life for Chrom... And for you." He said, sincerity bleeding into his voice.

Lucina cringed under the weight of his words, the tears finally breaking free of their prison and running down her face, leaving dim marks in their trails.

"Just... Promise me you'll find someone else who cares for you. Promise me you won't be alone... I want you to be happy, Lucina. That's all I've ever wanted."

"N-no... Ah gods, no..." Lucina choked out, her grip loosening on her blade.

Chris closed his eyes, taking a deep breath. His expression was perfectly calm. "...I'm ready now. Do what you must."

"I... I must... I... Damn it!" With a sudden, sharp crunch, Falchion sunk into its target.

Chris' eyes shot open. He could feel the blade in his chest, and the soft trickle of blood running down his cloak. Lucina stood over him, already splattered in blood. Her breathing was shaky as she tried to hold her tears. He could faintly hear someone yelling in the distance.

And even though he felt a strange pressure on his chest, their was no pain.

With a shaky hand, he pushed some of Lucina's disheveled hair out of her face, Chris brought Lucina into his embrace. As much as the sword sticking out of his chest would allow. The voice in the distance was growing louder, clearly belonging to Chrom.

With a shaky, weakening hand, Chris wiped a tear off Lucina's face. "You challenged your fate..." He said, his voice faint and hoarse, but filled with a calm love. "And you won. I... Love you."

And then she was alone. And between her wails of despair, the comfort of her father meant little. In a decimated future, she was alone. In the past, to save that future, she must be alone.

She challenged fate. And it seems that no matter how many times she fought it... She always lost.

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**A/N: As usual, thanks for reading. Reviews are appreciated.**

**Cheers!~**


	4. Stargazing

**Of Lords and Tacticians**

Stargazing

**A/N: Guess who's not dead!~ Now, alas, I give you the not-very-anticipated-at-all next worthless chapter to Of Lords and Tacticians!**

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The stars always seemed brighter in the past then in the future.

That's what she told everyone, anyways. She never elaborated beyond that.

So here Lucina sat, leaning up against a tree outside the Valmese capitol, staring up at the sky once again.

In the future, it may have been the near endless clouds of smoke that blanketed the sky, her position from Ylisse, or the near constant fighting for every breath she took, but she never really noticed the stars true brilliance before traveling to the past.

The sound of the celebration was still quite clear in the distance. The people of Valm were overjoyed to finally be rid of the Conqueror for good, and the Shepherds had mostly chosen to join in the merriment.

But not Lucina. To her, the battle wasn't won yet. There was still so much to be done, if the future was to be saved.

She didn't like parties anyways.

A twinkle of the stars overhead was accompanied by a small breeze, causing Lucina to pull her cloak tighter around her shoulders. It wasn't quite so cold out, but a night in this season, it wasn't overly pleasant either.

Not that she would complain. The stars always seemed brighter during the colder seasons.

So she sat, quietly, as the sound of the nearby camps faded slowly, busying herself only with watching the sky. She was alone. Just how it should be.

A shooting star flew across the sky, flickering out just as fast as it had appeared. Lucina watched with a sad smile where the light had once been, tracing a line through the air through it's path.

She felt a lot like that star right now. To come from some distant place, fulfill some duty, then burn out without a trace.

She would like that...

"Are you gonna make a wish?"

Lucina nearly let out a reflexive cry, her hand going to Falchion as quick as lightning. Chris didn't seem the least bit surprised at her reaction, just giving a simple smile before sitting down next to her.

"So? What did you wish for?" He asked again, throwing back his hood as he leaned back into the tree.

Lucina sighed, placing Falchion back down at her side. "I have told you already, Chris. I don't believe in wishes."

Chris laughed, like he usually did whenever this came up. "For someone who watches the stars like you, it seems odd not to wish, don't you think?"

Lucina turned her head, face burning red for a number of reasons. "I've told you before. There is no point in such things. If you had seen the things that I had, you would agree."

The silver-haired tactician shook his head, smiling as he crossed his arms behind his head. "Not that I think that is untrue... But you making it back to this time is quite the miracle itself, don't you think? Would it hurt to think that another could happen?"

Lucina opened her mouth to argue back, but thought better of it. When Chris was in a good mood, there was no point whatsoever in arguing with him.

She turned to look at him briefly, with him smiling awkwardly back. Lucina smiled for a moment herself, before looking back up to the stars. Chris' happiness was quite contagious. Must just be that charismatic aura that he gives off. It was why everyone seemed to have no problem following him. He just... Projected himself like that.

Another star shot across the sky. The others attending the nearby festivities must have seen this one, as the sound of cheerful excitement could be heard in the distance almost immediately after.

The noise died down again soon after, leaving the two again out in the silent of the night.

"Why are you here, Chris. Shouldn't you be attending to Chrom and the others?" Lucina said after a long moment, sounding a lot more annoyed then she had meant to.

The tactician didn't answer, instead looking up at the sky. "I'm... Worried about you." He said after a moment. Lucina looked at him quizzically, though he refuse to return the gaze. "Um... I mean, your an important part of the Shepherds. Chrom wouldn't have it if something ever happened to you..."

Lucina nodded in response, seeming to take that as enough an answer.

"I don't really understand." The tactician said, earning himself an odd look from the Lord.

The moment was punctuated by an awkward silence, as Lucina stared at her companion. "What?"

"You." Chris answered simply. "I don't understand you. Inigo, Cynthia, and almost all the others from the future have melded well with the Shepherds. It's as if they were perfectly normal. Well, except of Gerome. And... Maybe Severa."

Lucina chuckled to herself a bit, thinking of her friends.

"But then there is you." Chris continued. "You have been with us longer then any of them. You were one of the first people I met, even if it was from behind that mask of yours. Yet, even now... We have been at this for over a year. It still feels like you shut everyone out. Like you don't want anything to do with us."

The blue-haired lord winced a bit. "It's not... It's not like that. Not entirely."

Her words hung in the air for a moment, with Chris looking at her expectantly for more. "I... didn't want to be here. That is what the mask was for. I didn't want to have any effect on the future other then what I had to do."

Chris nodded in understanding. Deciding not to pursue the obviously sensitive topic any further, the tactician simply looked back up into the sky. Several more stars shot through the sky, burning out moments later.

He understood but this one thing about the young lord beside him. She was just as confused and lost in this world as he was.

A cold breeze shot through the air, punctuating the moment. Lucina pulled her cloak closer, trying to ward off the chill. She was surprised a moment later as a light weight was added around her shoulders. Looking down, she was oddly surprised to find the tactician's robes draped over her. When she looked back to where Chris had been, he was already making his way back to camp.

"...Thank you, Chris."


End file.
